Dons hope for top start

Doncaster Rugby League Club are aiming for a winning start to their League One Super 8s campaign in tomorrow’s home game against Keighley Cougars at the Keepmoat Stadium (3pm).

“This is what the club have been working towards all season and the focus now is to reach the play-offs and go on and win promotion back to the Championship and there is a belief within the squad that we can do it,” said head coach Richard Horne.

It will be the third meeting of the two clubs this season with the Dons going down in their iPro Cup first round tie at Cougar Park on the opening day of the season but coming out on top in the league game at the end of May – ironically their last game at the stadium.

“The players are looking forward to playing at the Keepmoat again because being a side which likes to throw the ball about the fact that it’s a big pitch suits us,” said Horne.

Gary Thornton and caretaker boss Pete Green were in charge respectively in the two previous meetings but Horne has done his homework on the West Yorkshire side who finished the regular season strongly to claim seventh place.

“I’ve watched footage of their 30-30 draw against Workington Town and they’ve got some players who can play,” he said. “They’ve also got a never-say-die attitude so they are always going to be in contention.

“They are a tidy footballing team and their halves get them around the field really well so we’ll need to defend well and take our chances when they come.

“Hopefully we’ll dominate them in the forwards – we’ve got a strong pack which can hold its own against any side in this competition - and if we do then that will go a long way to getting the result we want.”